..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Athletic Bilbao 3-1 Napoli (4-2 agg.): Aduriz bags two as Benitez's charges flop in Spain

Athletic Bilbao took advantage of a poor Napoli performance to seal a 3-1 win (4-2 agg.) over the Serie A side and book progression to the group stages of the Champions League.

Aritz Aduriz scored twice before Ibai Gomez added a third in a blistering 15-minute spell in the second half after Marek Hamsik had put Napoli ahead.

The home side spurned a number of other opportunities to put further gloss on the scoreline but will nonetheless take their place in the group-stage draw on Thursday, while Rafa Benitez is left to ponder life in the Europa League.

In what was a relatively cagey opening, Athletic started the strongest, pressing high up the pitch and forcing Napoli to concede possession quickly.

It was Napoli with the first half-chance, however, as Jose Callejon latched on to Marek Hamsik's cut-back only to lash a half-volley over the bar from 20 yards.

Higuain was then sent through only to be denied by a close offside call, before Aritz Aduriz brought a smart stop out of Rafael - though again he was narrowly offside.

Higuain then flashed a half-volley narrowly wide of the near post before Gurpegi spurned a glorious opening, heading past the near post as he arrived unchallenged to meet Benat's corner.

Athletic continued to press, with De Marcos forcing a nervy parry from Rafael before the resulting corner found its way to Iker Muniain, who picked out Aymeric Laporte unmarked at the far post only for the youngster to fire well over the bar.

However, it was Napoli who struck first just after break. Balenziaga headed a chipped long ball straight to the feet of Hamsik, who took a touch and buried it in the bottom corner.

Callejon was then sent racing clear only for Iraizoz to hurtle off his line to deny him as the visitors began to look the more relaxed and controlled side - but their lead did not last long. On 61 minutes, Aduriz was picked out unmarked by Susaeta from a corner, and he fired low past Rafael to restore parity.

Higuain then tested Iraizoz with a run and shot, but just eight minutes later, Athletic were ahead. Rafael raced off his line to clear a long ball from Laporte and got in a mess with Raul Albiol, allowing Aduriz to stroll through and stroke the ball into the unguarded net.

Benitez threw on Duvan Zapata and Lorenzo Insigne as they pushed for an equaliser, but on 74 minutes, the home side made the game safe. Some brilliant build-up between Iker Muniain and Unai Lopez allowed the latter to chip the ball through to Aduriz, who left the ball for the onrushing Ibai to fire into the bottom corner.

Napoli pressed again but Aduriz should have made it 4-1 when he scooped Muniain's cross over the bar from point-blank range, but ultimately the Basque side saw out the final few minutes with minimal fuss to land a place in the group-stage draw on Thursday.

 

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Arsenal 1-0 Besiktas (agg 1-0): Alexis sends 10-man Gunners through

 

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Arsenal offered contract to Zigic, says agent

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Apo ow bro Reus Bayern ganna 1kanam une nathnam thamai hodaWadak naha ohoma hoda playersla okkoma arangemak nahane athakota
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[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger in no hurry to replace stricken Giroud

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Olivier Giroud will miss up to four months through injury but has insisted he may not sign a replacement.

The France international striker picked up a seemingly innocuous injury against Everton at the weekend but was subsequently sent to a specialist amid fears that he had broken his ankle.

And Wenger has now revealed that he does indeed face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, though he maintains that he is happy with his current striking options despite reports linking the club with a bid for Nikola Zigic.

He told Sky Sports: "The news is that he had surgery today, that surgery went well, but he will be out for - maybe to be competitive at the top, top level - end of December, beginning of January."

Asked whether he will sign a striker to cover for Giroud's injury, Wenger added: "Look, I don't know yet. We try to look around but we want quality and we have quality.

"We have fortunately [Theo] Walcott coming back soon. I believe [Yaya] Sanogo will have an impact this season. We have [Lukas] Podolski, we have [Joel] Campbell who can play centre-forward.

"To find players who are better than the players we have would be very difficult now."

Wenger did suggest that he will weigh up his options but insists that €42 million signing Alexis Sanchez was bought to play as a striker, whilst also praising the likes of Sanogo and Campbell.

"We will consider [it]," he said. "Just in England you cannot, every time you have a problem, always buy. If you have an injury after the first of September, you have to live with it.

"I bought Sanchez to be a striker, and I think Walcott can be a very good striker. I think Sanogo is a very good striker. Podolski can play there. Campbell, if you ask him what he is, he's a striker.

"They are all players of quality and we'll see."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Inter must prove they can beat anyone - Mazzarri

Walter Mazzarri has urged his Inter side to be professional and send out a message in Thursday's Europa League match with Stjarnan.

The Serie A side put one foot in the group stages after leaving Iceland with a 3-0 victory in last Wednesday's play-off first leg.

However, head coach Mazzarri has told his team to put that result out of their minds at San Siro and play the game in the right manner against the lowest ranked side in the competition.

"I hope there will be a great atmosphere tomorrow that helps us get through," Mazzarri said at the pre-match news conference.

"I've asked the players to forget the first-leg result, we need to focus on our target - making the group phase.

"They need to show everything that I've always tried to put across to the teams I've coached.

"You can't achieve anything in modern football unless everyone pitches in and the boys believe in that approach.

"The first thing we want to prove is that we're a team that fights and can be a match for anyone."

Mazzarri also confirmed that he will make changes to his starting line-up with goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo and striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo set to start.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'We never stop attacking' - Aduriz hails Athletic's desire after Champions League progression

Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz says his team's desire to stay on the front foot for 90 minutes was the reason they beat Napoli to reach the Champions League group stage.

Athletic spurned a handful of clear chances before Marek Hamsik put the Serie A side in front at the San Mames in the second leg of their playoff clash on Wednesday.

However, Aduriz scored twice in 10 minutes to turn the tie on its head before Ibai Gomez sealed the win and a return to Europe's elite tournament after a 16-year absence.

And Aduriz feels their determination to attack throughout the 90 minutes was the decisive factor, telling Sport Mediaset: "I think the team worked very hard and we did not lose our heads after going a goal down at home. It is one of our characteristics, that we never give up and never stop attacking.

"I think Napoli are a great team and they made life difficult for us, but we trusted in our own strengths and came through in the end."

Head coach Ernesto Valverde, meanwhile, paid tribute to the raucous San Mames crowd for helping to roar the home side into the group stage.

"Of course we kept calm, as we had prepared for a difficult game against a great team like Napoli," he said.

"The difference was made by the crowd at the San Mames, as they helped push the players on and we kept faith in ourselves.

"It's true no Italian team has ever won at the San Mames. This is an historic day for us - 16 years on we are going into the Champions League."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benitez: I don't blame players for Champions League debacle

Rafael Benitez admits his Napoli side were made to pay for their mistakes against Athletic Bilbao, but insists he does not blame his players.

Marek Hamsik handed the Italians the lead just after half-time at the San Mames, but three goals in 13 minutes turned the Champions League playoff on its head.

Aritz Aduriz scored when unmarked from a corner before slotting into an empty net after a calamitous mix-up between Rafael and Raul Albiol, before Ibai Gomez capitalised on a failed offside trap to seal the win.

"Athletic deserved to score in the first half and didn't," Benitez told Sport Mediaset after the match. "We took the lead, but in a few minutes we made some important mistakes and lost control of the game. We made mistakes on all three goals.

"Those goals allowed Athletic to gain confidence and we lost ours. Do I blame anyone? No, mistakes happen - they are not normal, but they happened anyway. We had worked over the week on specifics like corners, but we still made mistakes and clearly we still have work to do.

"We said from the start Athletic were a tough team. We knew it could end up like this, we are all disappointed, but we have to look forward."

Gonzalo Higuain was visibly angered after the draw in the first leg but Benitez would not be drawn on speculation that the striker could now become unsettled after Napoli's failure to reach the group stage.

"I think at this stage we need to concentrate on the game with Genoa on Sunday. We are all disappointed, but cannot think about whether one player is more or less unhappy than the others," he added.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Birmingham City 0-3 Sunderland: Gomez and Johnson strikes stun hosts

Three goals in the last 13 minutes saw Sunderland into the Capital One Cup third round at the expense of a dogged Birmingham City side.

The Premier League side, beaten finalists in this competition last season, were given a tough examination at St Andrew's on Wednesday by the hosts, who will be aggrieved by a 3-0 scoreline that does not reflect how close the second-round tie was.

Jordi Gomez struck with a dipping 25-yard drive to break the deadlock after 77 minutes, his first goal since joining from Wigan Athletic in the close-season, before Adam Johnson and Connor Wickham both found the net.

David Cotterill had earlier hit the post and Paul Caddis forced a save from Costel Pantilimon as Birmingham pushed their hosts all the way.

Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet made wholesale changes from Sunday's Premier League draw with Manchester United, including handing debuts to Pantilimon and Billy Jones, while Johnson also returned from injury.

In a first half of few chances, an early Caddis shot forced Pantilimon to palm the ball out for a corner, while for the visitors, Jozy Altidore volleyed a Sebastian Larsson cross over.

The home side continued to edge a tight game as Mark Duffy found Clayton Donaldson in the area, but the striker could not get his shot away from close range. Cotterill then rifled against the post towards the end of the half, but it was ruled offside for the 2011 winners, who ended the half strongly.

Both sides have experienced highs in the competition in recent years, but it was the Championship side who showed more endeavour early in the second period. Wes Thomas looked lively but overhit two crosses before substitute Lee Novak fired over just after his introduction on the hour mark.

But Sunderland were almost gifted an opener when Birmingham goalkeeper Colin Doyle flapped at a corner before redeeming himself with two close-range saves as the hosts survived.

Doyle was busy again midway through the second half when Liam Bridcutt picked up a loose ball after Gomez's free-kick was blocked, but he saved well.

It was Birmingham's turn to strike from range when David Edgar picked the ball up, but Pantilimon got to his left to make the save.

However, Sunderland showed their class with 13 minutes remaining through Gomez, who rifled in an unstoppable effort from 25 yards out into the bottom corner to give Doyle no chance.

And, as the home side pressed for an equaliser, Sunderland broke forward and hit Birmingham twice on the break.

First, Johnson tucked away the rebound as Altidore's shot was saved three minutes from time, before Wickham added gloss to the scoreline a minute later as he poked past the Birmingham goalkeeper.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Stoke City 3-0 Portsmouth: Walters double sees hosts into Capital One Cup third round

Jonathan Walters' double helped Stoke City to a comfortable 3-0 win over Portsmouth in the Capital One Cup second round on Wednesday.

Making his first appearance of the season, the Republic of Ireland international staked a claim for a starting spot for the trip to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

Stoke have garnered just a point from their opening two league fixtures this season, but this win at the Britannia Stadium will come as a welcome boost ahead of the daunting trip to the champions at the weekend.

Walters claimed his first goal shortly after the quarter-hour with a close-range finish, before he was well set up by debutant Victor Moses at the start of the second half to double his tally.

Stoke dominated proceedings throughout - visiting goalkeeper Paul Jones making a number of fine saves to keep the scoreline down - although he was beaten again when former Portsmouth man Peter Couch added a third with a trademark header in the final minute.

For Portsmouth, it was a first competitive defeat under Andy Awford, who had previously guided the team to a 12-match unbeaten run since taking over in March.

Mark Hughes made nine changes from the side that started Sunday's 1-1 draw at Hull City, including a first appearance for Robert Huth since suffering a knee injury in November.

Portsmouth made eight alterations from their 1-0 win at Oxford United, with Awford handing a first-team debut to son Nick.

Following a quiet start, Stoke went ahead in the 16th minute as Walters nipped in front of Jones and prodded Marc Muniesa's cross into the net.

Jones had to be alert to prevent the visitors from falling further behind two minutes later, producing a fine double stop to keep out Moses and then the rebound from Crouch.

Moses continued to threaten, setting up Walters for a header that was saved, before Crouch volleyed narrowly over the crossbar.

Portsmouth were struggling to get to grips with Moses, who then saw a powerful shot deflected narrowly wide after another surging run in the 32nd minute.

Jones performed more heroics on the stroke of the interval by somehow keeping out Huth's close-range effort as the visitors were grateful for the half-time whistle.

Walters doubled his tally just two minutes after the restart, though, converting at the back post after Moses had got free down the left and sent a low delivery across the six-yard box.

Though a sprawling Jones denied Walters a hat-trick, he could do nothing to keep Crouch's late header out as Stoke added some gloss to the result.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Burton Albion 1-0 QPR: Late McGurk strike seals upset for fourth-tier hosts

QPR's dismal start to the season continued as a second-string side lost 1-0 to Burton Albion in the Capital One Cup.

Harry Redknapp's men struggled throughout at the Pirelli Stadium on Wednesday, with the League Two side deservedly grabbing a winner with 13 minutes to play through Adam McGurk - last season's hero in Burton's run to the play-off final.

The hosts generally looked superior in the first half and QPR had goalkeeper Brian Murphy to thank for keeping the score level.

Junior Hoilett fired a warning shot as he struck the crossbar in the first half, but QPR stuttered as they looked to build upon that opportunity.

Burton finally made their superiority tell in the 77th minute as McGurk converted a free-kick, earning the hosts a deserved spot in the third round of the competition for just a second time in their history.

Redknapp, who made 10 changes to his team, demanded a drastic improvement following the heavy 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.

But his men almost found themselves trailing within three minutes, as McGurk fired just wide of the target after cleverly shooting on the turn from 25 yards.

QPR stirred but Burton continued to look far more threatening as they wasted another two chances with just under 20 minutes gone.

Dominic Knowles first tested Murphy from eight yards and then Alexander MacDonald agonisingly missed the mark after cutting in from the right.

Redknapp's side almost punished Burton's inability to score in the 22nd minute, but Hoilett's powerful drive came back off the crossbar, before skewing an effort over the bar after escaping his marker 18 yards out.

QPR failed to produce much of a response in the early stages of the second half, with Burton continuing to look more dangerous.

The home side forced another decent opportunity in the 55th minute, as QPR failed to clear a corner and, after a goalmouth scramble, half-time substitute Robbie Weir nodded over.

Burton then saw a half-hearted penalty claim go against them with 25 minutes to go, as Richard Dunne – the only QPR play to retain his place in the team – brought Knowles down in the area.

Rowett's men eventually grabbed a deserved lead in the 77th minute, though - McGurk stepped up to a 20-yard free-kick and sent an unstoppable effort flying past Murphy.

The visitors chased a late equaliser, with Jordon Mutch and Bobby Zamora both introduced by Redknapp, but the hosts ultimately held on comfortably to equal their best run in the competition to date.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid line up Luiz Gustavo as Xabi Alonso closes in on Bayern move

Real Madrid will turn to Wolfsburg midfielder Luiz Gustavo in the wake of Xabi Alonso's dramatic request to leave the club and join Bayern Munich.

The 32-year-old informed Madrid on Wednesday of his desire to leave and it is believed that his likely role as a substitute in the season ahead, due to the arrival of Toni Kroos, has influenced his decision to move on.

The midfielder will formalise his intention on Thursday, with Pep Guardiola keen to tie the player onto a two-year contract at Bayern. Guardiola has been active in the transfer market as a response to the injury setback suffered by Javi Martinez, who could miss the entire 2014-15 campaign due to a cruciate ligament injury sustained in the DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund.

Defender Mehdi Benatia arrived from Roma on Tuesday, and with ongoing concerns over the fitness of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thiago Alcantara, Guardiola has decided to add experience in the form of the Spain legend, who also announced his decision to retire from international football within the last 24 hours.

Madrid have already identified their replacement and Goal understands that a deal for Luiz Gustavo is close to being concluded, with the player keen to feature for the Champions League holders next season. The club are confident of having all the necessary paperwork complete in time for the transfer window closing on September 1.

Madrid have been extremely active in the market already this summer, with the acquisition of Kroos, Keylor Navas and James Rodriguez, while Angel Di Maria completed an €84m move to Manchester United earlier this week and Alvaro Morata departed for Juventus in July.

One player who will not be leaving, however, is Alvaro Arbeloa. Goal understands that the right-back has no intention to depart and will remain until at least the end of next season as cover for first-choice defender Daniel Carvajal.

 

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Xabi Alonso th Bayern yanna hadanawada​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Thawa 4 days thiyenne Transfer deadline 1kata​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger kiyanawa aluthen Striker kenek ganne naha kiyala.Habai mata hithena hatiyatanam 1ka echchara hoda deyak neweimokada Giroud 2015 wenakam play karanna wena 1kak naha kiyala thamai kiyanne injury 1ka nisa

Anyway dan digatama Sanchez striker role 1ka play karai & Sanchez ge attacking pattahabai Podolski & Sanchez ta cover 1kak widiyata thawa striker kenek hitiyanam thamai hoda
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[charitha chandi]

Vidal Man Utd Join wai...!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Vidal Man Utd Join wai...!

Vidal wa ganna puluwan unoth nam hodai aiya & Aiye Diego Costa ta injury 1kak nisa 6 weeks wage play karanna bari wei kiyala kiyanneSo Mourinho additional striker kenek ganida.

Torres ge situation 1kath clear naha neda thama...AC Milan la try karanawa Torres wa.
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[Wolverine GTR]

Champions League qualification MUST prompt Arsenal spending spree

From the anxiety of a Champions League nail-biter to the rollercoaster of the final days of the transfer window.

The unthinkable of expulsion from club football's grandest competition narrowly averted, Arsenal will navigate the final stretch of the window as one of the most cash-rich teams in Europe.

With an estimated €80 million available to spend and clear gaps to fill in the squad, the possibilities could and perhaps should be lip-smacking.

But old habits die hard for Arsene Wenger, who, deep in the 18th year of his Arsenal reign, remains intent on getting value from the market and will walk away from a deal rather than pay above the odds for a player.

The latest example of this was the club's chase for Greece international Kostas Manolas, who had been identified as a centre-back replacement for Thomas Vermaelen.

Arsenal had been working on a €10m deal for a fortnight and negotiations were advanced but when Roma moved the goalposts by offering €13m to Olympiakos as well as the chance for the player to slot straight into the team, it was back to the drawing board for Wenger and his recruitment team.

Arsenal fans are getting used to their club scrambling around in the final hours of the window trying to source a bargain or pull a rabbit out of the hat. Given the resources at Wenger's disposal, this policy seems unnecessarily counter-productive and even unambitious.

Understandably, the issue of Champions League qualification had muddied the waters. With their place at the top table of European football now secured for a 17th consecutive year, Goal understands there will be a big push for new blood.

As well as a proven centre-back, Wenger is targeting an A-list midfield anchorman who can bring drive and authority to a midfield that was found wanting so often against marquee opposition last season.

The top target is William Carvalho, the Sporting Lisbon youngster who began his career at centre-back and is equally comfortable in both positions.

Arsenal have been working on what is said to be a very complicated deal due to the Portuguese's third-party ownership - for some time. A €25m bid has been rejected and an improved offer is expected now the Londoners have climbed aboard the Champions League gravy train.

With Mikel Arteta's mobility an increasing concern and Mathieu Flamini's limitations all too obvious, the need for a defensive shield who can mix it in elite company is regarded as a priority by Wenger.

The manager is also considering striking reinforcements, and had been even before Olivier Giroud's broken tibia ruled him out for what Wenger expects to be between three and four months.

Yet the manager made it clear in the aftermath of Wednesday's second-leg triumph that he will only sanction a deal for another forward if he believes it significantly strengthens his squad.

"I don't know yet but we try to look around and we want quality," Wenger said. "We have that with [Theo] Walcott coming back soon - we have [Lukas] Podolski, [Yaya] Sanogo and [Joel] Campbell too.

"You can't always buy if you have a problem. If you have an injury after September 1, you have to live with it.

"I bought Sanchez to be a striker. Walcott can be very good. Sanogo and Podolski can play there. Ask Campbell what he is, he will say a striker. They are players of quality and we will see."

Sanchez demonstrated with a vibrant second-half display against Besiktas why Wenger believes he can cause such damage in the centre-forward role, and few can doubt the Frenchman's track record in developing pacy wide players into orthodox strikers.

Nevertheless, Wenger is being disingenuous when he reels off the names of Walcott and Podolski. Both have been tried up front and neither have convinced the manager.

Moreover, Sanago is painfully raw and Campbell is yet to start a match for the first team. Neither have scored a goal for the club.

Giroud's injury robs Arsenal of their only senior spearhead capable of out-muscling centre-backs, playing with his back to goal and chipping in with a few goals.

The problem for Wenger is that the type of strikers who are available and could slot straight into his team are at clubs who do not want to strengthen a direct rival; Danny Welbeck and Fernando Torres to name two. Loic Remy has been on the market all summer but he is regarded by Wenger as a resort of the desperate variety.

Arsenal insiders expect there will be a blizzard of transfer activity at London Colney in the next few days.

The expectation is that a centre-back and a central midfielder will sign. Supporters will hope they are joined by a third man in the shape of a proven striker.

Wenger has been given the green light by Wednesday's result. Now, he must maneouvre his squad into the best possible shape.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bale: I made the right decision to join Real Madrid

Gareth Bale has stressed that he has no regrets over his decision to leave Tottenham Hotspur for Real Madrid last year.

The 25-year-old joined the Santiago Bernabeu side for a world record transfer fee of €100 million after a protracted transfer saga, with former Manchester United manager David Moyes revealing recently that he tried to convince Bale to join the Red Devils.

However, the Wales star feels the trophies he has won so far with Madrid are proof that he made the right call.

"I made the right decision last year. To win two trophies last season and then the European Super Cup in Cardiff shows that," Bale told Daily Mail.

"It's nice now to sit back and just watch the transfers. When you are settled somewhere you can enjoy it but it was the complete opposite 12 months ago, I was still at home waiting to come here.

"When you are in limbo between two clubs it's not the greatest feeling in the world but if you want to move you have to go through that sometimes."

The Welshman said earlier this week that Real Madrid aim to make history this term by successfully defending their Champions League title, but he has acknowledged that it will not be easy.

"There is a reason why no-one has done it. It's difficult to win it once, never mind twice in a row, but we feel confident, we feel good."

Bale then looked back at last year's campaign and singled out the away win over Bayern Munich in the semi-finals as Madrid's best performance.

"The semi-final, especially the away leg, was probably our best team performance. To beat the reigning champions 4-0 on their own ground — they don't often lose at their stadium — was the perfect performance from us.

"We defended when we had to defend and we counterattacked when we could, and that game gave us huge confidence going into the final."

 

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Eto'o announces Cameroon retirement

Samuel Eto'o has retired from international duty after being stripped of the Cameroon captaincy.

Eto'o was replaced as national skipper by Stephan M'Bia on Tuesday, and almost immediately has withdrawn his services to coach Volker Finke.

Widely regarded as one of Africa's greatest-ever players, Eto'o posted on his official Twitter page: "I inform you that I am ending my international career.

"Thank you to all Africa, and to all my fans for your unconditional support."

Eto'o, who on Tuesday penned a two-year deal with Premier League side Everton, made his Cameroon debut as a 15-year-old against Costa Rica.

He was the youngest player at the 1998 World Cup after being called up by Claude Le Roy at the age of 17.

The 33-year-old has won almost everything there is to win at club level, and he also enjoyed success with his country, claiming gold at the 2000 Olympics as well as two Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2000 and 2002.

Eto'o played just once at this year's World Cup, in which Cameroon lost all three of their games and endured a campaign plagued by a bonus row and an alleged match-fixing scandal.

 

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Official: Atletico sign Danubio rising star Velazquez

Atletico Madrid have completed a deal to sign highly-rated Danubio defender Emiliano Velazquez on a five-year contract.

The official confirmation comes as little surprise after the 20-year-old Uruguayan claimed on Tuesday that a deal was in place, with an instant loan move to Atletico's neighbours Getafe reported.

Velazquez has been in the Danubio first team for two years and was part of Uruguay's preliminary World Cup squad. However, he is expected to earn his first cap with the national team against either Japan or South Korea in September.

The youngster was among the best defenders in the Uruguayan Primera Division last season, with Danubio claiming the title for a fourth time.

Velazquez has already passed his medical and joins the La Liga champions for five years.

Atletico said in a statement on their website: "Atletico de Madrid and Danubio FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of Emiliano Velazquez (Montevideo, Uruguay, 1994).

"The Uruguayan underwent the relevant medical examination at Majadahonda's Fremap clinic before signing the contract that binds him to our club for the next five seasons."

Velazquez links up with fellow Uruguayans Diego Godin, Jose Gimenez and Cristian Rodriguez in signing for Atletico.